As a customer I understand your point, however as a "Technician" understand our point.
The point is that we are taken for granted not only by the customer, but the manufacture as well.
The manufacture's want us to do service for them so the customer is happy, but when the shoe falls they are quick to blame both servicer's and customers alike.
They treat us the same way as they do customers, that is blame everyone else but themselves and place uneducated (about the Appliances) people in a posistion to answer the questions. How can someone provide assistance on something they really know nothing about.

NOW HOLD ON ! its easy to beat up on GE but its not just GEs doing , its all of us . in 1980 i was selling a GE 22.5 cubic foot fridge for 1200.00 and a top load GE washer for 399.00 (matching dryer for ONLY 250.00 ! ) we sold truckloads ! and fixed truckloads ! FAST FORWARD TO TODAY : you can buy that size fridge for 799.00 and a top load ge washer for 300.00 ! DO YOU MAKE THE SAME MONEY AS YOU DID IN 1980 ?? i saw a ge fridge in home depot for 399.00 a few weeks back! ........if the public is not willing to pay for a well made ,well serviced product then the producer will make a product that will sell for what the public is willing to pay ! harbor freight sells cheep tools and a lot of them ! you buy an air compressor from them for 100.00 and something brakes on it in a year or two , do you think harbor freight should have a RECALL on this compressor ? i am sure thay know about the problem ! most people (includeing me) would say NO , i got two years out of it ,and it was cheep , so i won ! and off to the store to buy another at an even lower price ! now its 89.00 "WOW WHAT A GREAT DEAL" the public will allways get what it wants ( i am not saying its smart ) its just fact .

____________________ SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING , I FIX GREAT , I DON'T SPELL WELL

Bobice wrote: "The manufacture's want us to do service for them so the customer is happy, but when the shoe falls they are quick to blame both servicer's and customers alike.
They treat us the same way as they do customers, that is blame everyone else but themselves and place uneducated (about the Appliances) people in a posistion to answer the questions. How can someone provide assistance on something they really know nothing about."

I take offense to that. I really do!

____________________"If you want your tree to produce plenty o' fruit, you've got to cut it back from time to time. Same thing with your neural cells. Some people might call it brain damage. I call it prunin'".

____________________"If you want your tree to produce plenty o' fruit, you've got to cut it back from time to time. Same thing with your neural cells. Some people might call it brain damage. I call it prunin'".

____________________" Giving numerical data to Sears management is like giving a monkey a machine gun. No one knows for certain what will happen, but you can be sure of two things... It will be real messy, and only the monkey will be unharmed"

nickfixit wrote: I like how different manufacturers will keep saying they are not having any issues with a certain appliance, right up to the day the nation-wide recall is announced.
When I worked for Maytag Factory Service, I was the first technician to bring the leaky rinse agent dispenser problem on the MDB series dishwashers to the Maytag tech line's attention and to engineering. That was almost 10 years ago. At that time they used the same line on me, but they sent it to engineering's attention after I had the wiring harness start sparking on me after the rinse aid had leaked all over it. 10 years later they issue the recall, go figure.

Scottthewolf wrote: nickfixit wrote: I like how different manufacturers will keep saying they are not having any issues with a certain appliance, right up to the day the nation-wide recall is announced.
When I worked for Maytag Factory Service, I was the first technician to bring the leaky rinse agent dispenser problem on the MDB series dishwashers to the Maytag tech line's attention and to engineering. That was almost 10 years ago. At that time they used the same line on me, but they sent it to engineering's attention after I had the wiring harness start sparking on me after the rinse aid had leaked all over it. 10 years later they issue the recall, go figure.
You may or may not have noticed, but they only issued the recall after Whirlpool bought them. I've often wondered if Whirlpool would have still bought them had they known ahead of time about this issue that Maytag was obviously sweeping under the rug.

maybe all the 1-800 Techs should have live membership access to this site ...

I have encouraged many of my front-line reps that a membership here would be worth their while. While we discourage them from giving technical assistance to the general public (again, for liability reasons), this site is a great resource for general info that would help them better understand the answers they ARE giving the consumer, so when called on to explain or elaborate, they actually sound like they know what they are talking about, instead of just reading by rote....

____________________"If you want your tree to produce plenty o' fruit, you've got to cut it back from time to time. Same thing with your neural cells. Some people might call it brain damage. I call it prunin'".

As a customer, I have to chime in here... Back in 2005, when we finished our remodeling project, we bought all new appliances from GE, through our local Home Despot (Depot). It was $2000 for the reefer, $1000 for the gas range, $500 for the OTR microwave, $500 for the dishwasher, and $1000 for the water heater. Since that time, we've had to call for service on almost every one of these GE appliances and we've replaced the dishwasher and microwave. Three years ago we again (I'm not very bright) bought a GE front loader washer and dryer for $2000 and the washer has never worked correctly and we've had service out ("can't fix it, it's normal for the washer to walk all over the basement", says the tech). We paid a lot of $ for these appliances, expecting quality and we have not been satisfied with what we received from GE, both in products and service. We don't buy the "Harbor Freight" model, we pay extra, thinking we're getting a better product, but we obviously have not. I have had to learn how to repair these appliances or call you folks (the pros) when I'm in over my head. I am an IT guy and the complaints you make are valid and they also apply to my field. People buy the cheapest craptastic PC (eMachines, anybody?), then call me and want me to fix it and not pay me. Very common attitude, not just in the appliance repair field. My friend is an auto mechanic and he says the same attitude is common in his field...

The public needs to learn to recognise a well made product not just a slick paint job and well thought out ads . if you want to change the behavior of a child you dont reward him/her when there bad . GE used to make some of the finest appliances made i have 3 in my kitchen 1977 GE self clean range , 1983 GE spacemaker microwave , 1977 side by side fridge ( golden girls special, woodgrain doors and all ! ) I expect and will try to make these appliances outlast me, as long as i can get parts or make parts for them . people must stop taking advice from salesman that where selling shoes last week and books the week before and now know everything there is to know about your appliance needs. STOP FEEDING GE ! (and the us govt ) WHEN ITS BAD!!!

____________________ SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING , I FIX GREAT , I DON'T SPELL WELL

So what's a well made product these days?? no matter what you put in kitchen/laundry room you may have multiple service calls..i, IMO, believe one of the aggravating factors is; lack of *tech expertise at the factory and contract level and the frustrating lack of empathy from the manf when their cust have complaints. witness the poster who was told it's 'normal' for the washer to walk around the basement..years ago Factory Servicers were the elite. no more..just keep the #'s up. i feel sorry for any consumer who needs factory or contract service..oh well more work[$$] for me.[*a few exceptions]

WELL MADE ? ......well the whirlpool direct drive top loader was well made . but that's not whats selling,front load GE and top load HEIER, selling like crazy! People are buying front loaders on the hipe you save water . Then replaces it in 5 years when a wildly expensive part fails, wheres the savings ? the modern consumer buys with there eyes and not there mind. Then television and the salesman reinforce that they made the SMART decision

Ok, being one of those well intentioned if not sometimes buffudling customers I have enjoyed this thread. I do believe that people should occasionally take a little personal initiative to maintain their own appliances. Everyone was floored when I looked up why machine wasn't working and fixed it.. Those little dawgs are quite a nuisance. But I have also been known to completely destroy certain appliances, (removing the agitator of my washer when I was 19 that was a while) I busted the crap out of it. The poor repair guy who I called out finally just shook his head and pronounced the death time.

I think people should care for their own appliances but should also admit when they are over their head and call the professionals. If the professional comes after you have worsened your machines condition, hang your head and admit your faults, and take your lumps.

I have sent my last wash machine to the Elysian Fields... So tomorrow our new front loader will be delivered. Some of us get front loaders not just because of water efficiency. With the help of this website we decided to get the 4.3 Cubic foot Samsung. We want one because it also spins more water out of the clothes. We line dry most of our laundry so the dryer it is when it goes out the less time in the sun the less fading. This new machine will save us time and help us wash laundry quicker and dry quicker. With 11 family members this is important. Now in a few years when we have put 9 years worth of use in 3 years and the bearing or whatever blows out... Well in all honesty that is why I have a home warranty.

Now for people who are goofy enough to get the cheapest machine possible and expect it to give them years of service with it needing no service... they need their heads serviced...

So some of us consumers know what we are getting into and have decided it is worth it..